Death rate at 6.5, closer to national average
Special Correspondent
Panaji: Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin for the year 2024, released this month, states that Goa has the lowest birth rate as also the second lowest natural growth rate among all Indian states.
The SRS Bulletin provides reliable annual estimates of Infant Mortality Rate, birth rate, death rate and other fertility and mortality indicators at the national and sub-national levels.
The SRS Bulletin released by the Office of the Registrar General of India in May 2026 shows Goa’s birth rate at 10.7 per 1,000 population, far below the national average of 18.3, making it among the lowest in the country.
In comparison, Kerala has recorded a marginally higher rate at 11.1. Among the Union territories, the birth rate for Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the lowest at 9.9.
Meanwhile, Goa’s death rate stands at 6.5, closer to the national average of 6.4. The death rate of males in Goa is 7.3 per 1,000 population, while that of females is much lower at 5.8.
Goa’s natural growth rate, which is the difference between birth and death rates, stands at 4.2, the second-lowest among all states following Kerala’s natural growth rate of 3.9, as compared to the national average of 11.9, thus indicating slower population growth in the state.
Second-lowest Infant Mortality Rate
Panaji: According to the SRS Bulletin, Goa has also recorded the second-lowest Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) among the Indian states, with just seven infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
Incidentally, Goa’s IMR for male as well as female children is the same and stands at 7. Also the state’s IMR is way below the national average of 24.
Among all states in the country, only Manipur, with an IMR of 2, reported a lower figure, though the bulletin notes that Manipur’s estimates are based on a limited sample size that is 130 SRS Units.
Goa is tied with Sikkim at 7 as far as the IMR is concerned, while Kerala follows at 8, placing Goa among the country’s top performers in infant survival.
The latest data pertains to the year 2024 for larger states, while IMRs for smaller states and Union territories are based on three-year period 2022-24.
Meanwhile, the national data shows India’s IMR at 24, with rural areas recording a higher rate of 27 compared to 17 for urban areas, underlining the continuing rural-urban healthcare gap. States such as Chhattisgarh (36), Madhya Pradesh (35) and Uttar Pradesh (35) reported some of the highest infant mortality rates in the country.
Among the Union territories, Ladakh and Lakshadweep recorded the lowest infant mortality rate at 3, followed by Chandigarh at 6.
For Goa, a total of 95 sample units were covered including 45 in rural areas, while 50 in urban areas to deduce the results for indicators.
